Tori Amos thrills Glasgow with joyful resistance set

TL;DR

Tori Amos delivered a thrilling set at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall after four years away.
New album In Times of Dragons features tracks like doomy Shush and hopeful Stronger Together.
Performance mixed back catalogue hits with resistance-themed joy, backed by skilled musicians and singers.

The story at a glance

Tori Amos, the American singer-songwriter now based in Cornwall, played Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Wednesday night, her first show there in four years. The review by Teddy Jamieson gives it four stars for a quietly thrilling set drawing from her new album In Times of Dragons and classics like Little Earthquakes. It's being reported now ahead of the album's release, which tackles autocratic times through Tori's fantastical lens. Most fans treated it as a special event, toggling between hushed devotion and excitement.

Key points

Gig opened under a gigantic circle of lights resembling a portal to "Toriworld," with audience already immersed.
Amos performed Shush from new album, imagining her as a dragon queen fighting a billionaire demon lizard and the patriarchy.
Backed by drummer Earl Harvin, bassist/MD Jon Evans, and "angel witches" Liv Gibson, Deni Hlavinka, Hadley Kennary on vocals.
Ranged through catalogue including Crazy and Honey from Scarlet’s Walk and Under the Pink, with songs stretched into tidal, surging shapes.
Stronger Together highlights female solidarity amid "menacing times/stripped of rights."
Crucify (1992 hit) got a bouncy, light take, with Amos beaming.
New album concerns repressive politics via gay witches and Celtic deity Lugh.

Details and context

The set felt like joyful resistance, snuffling for "buried treasure" in her catalogue back to 1992's Little Earthquakes. Backing singers cushioned vocals like "God’s own scaffolders," dropping out sharply on Honey as Amos snarled "tight" with contempt. Music had a tidal push-pull, settling then surging, powered by supple drumming and artful bass. Amos switched between keyboards and Bosendorfer piano, sometimes playing both eyes closed. This contrasts her four-year gap from Glasgow, making the night an "event" for devoted fans.

Key quotes

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” – Tori Amos, acknowledging the four-year absence.

Why it matters

Amos's show channels personal and political resistance through music, resonating in autocratic times via fantasy elements like demon lizards and dragon queens. Fans get a rare, immersive live taste of her evolving catalogue and upcoming album, blending hope with edge. Watch for In Times of Dragons release and potential UK tour dates.